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Paradisa, Year 6
"I still can't believe this," Shaun says. If he didn't have an armful of books in his arms, he would be gesticulating wildly.
"That we're stuck in a magic, sentient castle in a pocket universe?" Lucy replies, walking with him, her own arms loaded with books. "I still think we're in some version of an Animus. Think about it, all these different personalities in these larger-than-life identities."
"Lucy," Shaun argues, "If Abstergo or the Templars managed to capture us, we would likely remember something before coming to in the... whatever this is."
"Look, we don't have all the answers yet," Lucy replies. "Let's just see what we can find on this place and go from there."
Desmond, walking behind the two, also with an armload of books, is more focused on looking around him than what the other two are saying. But, for the sake of argument, he chips in: "If people have lived here for five years, don't you think people would know what this place is, if it were as easy as looking in a library book?"
Shaun makes a sound of annoyance, and Lucy sighs.
"Right now, this is our best option. Let's go."
-x-
They're buried amongst a stack of books, on yet another hour of research, holed up in Lucy's room. They're quiet, mostly -- the odd chitchat about a particular line or two, the odd snippy remark from Shaun about something stupid. But the quiet changes when Rebecca bursts in through the door, looking elated.
"You guys aren't going to believe this!"
Shaun looks up, eternally unimpressed. "Oh, what is it, Rebecca? Were you out having fun while the rest of us were in here reading about a magic castle?"
"No, no," she says. "Come with me, we have to find him. Ezio is here."
Lucy and Desmond share a surprised but suddenly excited look, and Shaun just gapes. Instantly, all three scramble out of their seats.
"What? How did you find out?" Lucy demands.
"Ezio Auditore," Shaun replies, in disbelief. "Ezio Auditore da Firenze? The Master Assassin, born 1459--"
"Why are you talking like that? What other Ezio could it possibly be?" Desmond cuts in, with a raised eyebrow.
Shaun gives Desmond an annoyed look, throwing his hands up in defeat. "I'm just trying to confirm, Desmond."
"Guys," Rebecca cuts in, and Desmond and Shaun quieten. "I heard his voice while I was poking around the building, and there he was, talking to some woman. I hung around to listen until he got up and walked off with her. Tailed him for a bit, but he figured out I was following them and I had to leave."
"Alright," Lucy says, clearly trying to hide a bit of excitement with professionalism. "We should be realistic. If we really are in some sort of Animus system, the Templars might have poked around in Desmond's subconscious and generated Ezio just to fool us."
Desmond looks a touch disappointed. "I guess that's true."
"But how, Luce?" Rebecca replies. "We stand almost nothing to gain by sitting here perusing books. Everyone here wants to get out of here. What's the harm in talking to him and seeing what we can find out?"
"Living history, Lucy," Shaun interjects.
"What was he talking to her about?" Lucy has her arms folded, ever scrutinizing.
"Just general flirting."
There's a mutual laugh hidden under all their serious faces, but it doesn't bubble to the surface.
"Well, sounds like our Italian friend to me," Shaun says, "Shall we go find him, or do we want to sit here reading and picking our noses some more?"
-x-
After about an hour, they find his name plate on a room at the top of Ortus tower. More specifically, the plate identifies the room as belonging to Ezio Auditore and Claudia Auditore, his younger sister. They all share a look, and Lucy reaches out and knocks.
After a moment, there's still no reply.
"I hope he's home," Shaun remarks. "Hate to have come all this way for nothing."
"Shut up," Rebecca replies, elbowing him in the ribs. Shaun gives an exaggerated grimace.
"Shh," Lucy says, and she leans to press her ear to the door. They're all quiet, and they watch as Lucy's face gradually changes from that dedicated seriousness to barely-contained amusement. "He's home."
They don't even need to ask. Shaun covers his face with his palm, the classic I'm-surrounded-by-idiots gesture, and both Rebecca and Desmond have to stifle laughter. Even Lucy can't hide how entertained she is, like this would confirm that it is, in fact, Ezio, and not some trap.
But they can't be sure.
"That's alright, Ezio, you get some, we'll just wait out here!" Shaun says, loudly. Rebecca puts a finger to her lips and shushes him.
"Shaun," Lucy scolds him, moving away from the door.
But there's suddenly the sound of hushed voices coming from inside, and the four outside the door freeze up to listen and wait. All jokes aside, Ezio Auditore is on the other side of that door, they're just about to have the most bizarre encounter of their lives... or the most bizarre to come, anyhow.
"Who is it?" they hear from within. The voice is deep, masculine, heavily inflected with a Florentine-Italian accent. They'd all recognize it as Ezio in a heartbeat.
They all share another look before Lucy replies, "Friends. We need to talk; it's important."
There's a long pause on the other side of the door, and then it opens.
And there he is, tall and handsome, dressed in trousers and a long-sleeved shirt, the laces at the front of the shirt untied -- he'd clearly thrown it on seconds earlier. His hair has been just as hastily tied back again, and he's not wearing any boots. He looks rather peeved, one hand on the door and the other on the doorframe. Just beyond him, there's the slightest glimpse of a blonde woman, arms folded, watching them with a miffed expression.
"Friends I have never met," Ezio says, a bit guarded. Desmond freezes up a touch, face-to-face with a face remarkably like his own, but Ezio doesn't seem to notice yet. His eyes are on Lucy. "How important is this?"
"We're Assassins. We just want to talk."
Ezio scrutinizes them a bit closer, drifting from Lucy, to Shaun, to Rebecca, and finally to Desmond. His eyes settle on Desmond, and a frown appears on his face before he speaks Lucy.
"Assassins?" he repeats, eyes not leaving Desmond for a second. "Yes... we will need to talk. Can you wait five minutes?"
The blonde in the suite gives a sudden, pointed cough.
"Fifteen minutes," he corrects himself, stepping back into the room. "Excuse me."
Ezio closes the door.
The four stand there in silence for a moment, until Desmond abruptly opens his mouth.
"Did that really just happen?"
-x-
By time Ezio opens the door, they've all settled into a weird, excited tension. Desmond is leaning against the wall, arms folded, Shaun and Rebecca are seated across from him, quietly bickering over something or other, and only Lucy is still standing completely upright by the door, waiting. She has to step back when Ezio lets the woman out -- a woman who looks considerably happier than before, but probably still irked about the abrupt end to their otherwise peaceful afternoon. Ezio himself is fully dressed, not in Assassin robes but in a well-tailored doublet.
"Salve," he says, a bit more relaxed. "I meant to come back to you sooner, but that was another important conversation."
"About what?" Shaun replies, incredulously, climbing to his feet. He offers Rebecca a hand and continues: "Not that I'm not flattered to meet you in person, but I can already tell that you're going to be frustrating to work with."
"He wasn't frustrating before?" Rebecca says, wryly.
"That was history," Shaun counters. "This is now."
"I think we can let this one go, Shaun. The guy doesn't know us and he might have no idea where we're from, and you're talking to him like he's supposed to know."
"Shaun, Rebecca," Lucy says, a bit sharply. "Could we not?"
"At least we know he gets his work done when it's important," Desmond adds. "But this is just... wow. It hasn't even sunk in yet. Ezio Auditore..."
Ezio looks to Desmond, eyes lingering again.
"I especially want to talk to you," Ezio says, and then glances around the others. He pauses, and then admits, "The rest of you, I have no idea what you're talking about."
"I still can't believe this," Shaun says. If he didn't have an armful of books in his arms, he would be gesticulating wildly.
"That we're stuck in a magic, sentient castle in a pocket universe?" Lucy replies, walking with him, her own arms loaded with books. "I still think we're in some version of an Animus. Think about it, all these different personalities in these larger-than-life identities."
"Lucy," Shaun argues, "If Abstergo or the Templars managed to capture us, we would likely remember something before coming to in the... whatever this is."
"Look, we don't have all the answers yet," Lucy replies. "Let's just see what we can find on this place and go from there."
Desmond, walking behind the two, also with an armload of books, is more focused on looking around him than what the other two are saying. But, for the sake of argument, he chips in: "If people have lived here for five years, don't you think people would know what this place is, if it were as easy as looking in a library book?"
Shaun makes a sound of annoyance, and Lucy sighs.
"Right now, this is our best option. Let's go."
-x-
They're buried amongst a stack of books, on yet another hour of research, holed up in Lucy's room. They're quiet, mostly -- the odd chitchat about a particular line or two, the odd snippy remark from Shaun about something stupid. But the quiet changes when Rebecca bursts in through the door, looking elated.
"You guys aren't going to believe this!"
Shaun looks up, eternally unimpressed. "Oh, what is it, Rebecca? Were you out having fun while the rest of us were in here reading about a magic castle?"
"No, no," she says. "Come with me, we have to find him. Ezio is here."
Lucy and Desmond share a surprised but suddenly excited look, and Shaun just gapes. Instantly, all three scramble out of their seats.
"What? How did you find out?" Lucy demands.
"Ezio Auditore," Shaun replies, in disbelief. "Ezio Auditore da Firenze? The Master Assassin, born 1459--"
"Why are you talking like that? What other Ezio could it possibly be?" Desmond cuts in, with a raised eyebrow.
Shaun gives Desmond an annoyed look, throwing his hands up in defeat. "I'm just trying to confirm, Desmond."
"Guys," Rebecca cuts in, and Desmond and Shaun quieten. "I heard his voice while I was poking around the building, and there he was, talking to some woman. I hung around to listen until he got up and walked off with her. Tailed him for a bit, but he figured out I was following them and I had to leave."
"Alright," Lucy says, clearly trying to hide a bit of excitement with professionalism. "We should be realistic. If we really are in some sort of Animus system, the Templars might have poked around in Desmond's subconscious and generated Ezio just to fool us."
Desmond looks a touch disappointed. "I guess that's true."
"But how, Luce?" Rebecca replies. "We stand almost nothing to gain by sitting here perusing books. Everyone here wants to get out of here. What's the harm in talking to him and seeing what we can find out?"
"Living history, Lucy," Shaun interjects.
"What was he talking to her about?" Lucy has her arms folded, ever scrutinizing.
"Just general flirting."
There's a mutual laugh hidden under all their serious faces, but it doesn't bubble to the surface.
"Well, sounds like our Italian friend to me," Shaun says, "Shall we go find him, or do we want to sit here reading and picking our noses some more?"
-x-
After about an hour, they find his name plate on a room at the top of Ortus tower. More specifically, the plate identifies the room as belonging to Ezio Auditore and Claudia Auditore, his younger sister. They all share a look, and Lucy reaches out and knocks.
After a moment, there's still no reply.
"I hope he's home," Shaun remarks. "Hate to have come all this way for nothing."
"Shut up," Rebecca replies, elbowing him in the ribs. Shaun gives an exaggerated grimace.
"Shh," Lucy says, and she leans to press her ear to the door. They're all quiet, and they watch as Lucy's face gradually changes from that dedicated seriousness to barely-contained amusement. "He's home."
They don't even need to ask. Shaun covers his face with his palm, the classic I'm-surrounded-by-idiots gesture, and both Rebecca and Desmond have to stifle laughter. Even Lucy can't hide how entertained she is, like this would confirm that it is, in fact, Ezio, and not some trap.
But they can't be sure.
"That's alright, Ezio, you get some, we'll just wait out here!" Shaun says, loudly. Rebecca puts a finger to her lips and shushes him.
"Shaun," Lucy scolds him, moving away from the door.
But there's suddenly the sound of hushed voices coming from inside, and the four outside the door freeze up to listen and wait. All jokes aside, Ezio Auditore is on the other side of that door, they're just about to have the most bizarre encounter of their lives... or the most bizarre to come, anyhow.
"Who is it?" they hear from within. The voice is deep, masculine, heavily inflected with a Florentine-Italian accent. They'd all recognize it as Ezio in a heartbeat.
They all share another look before Lucy replies, "Friends. We need to talk; it's important."
There's a long pause on the other side of the door, and then it opens.
And there he is, tall and handsome, dressed in trousers and a long-sleeved shirt, the laces at the front of the shirt untied -- he'd clearly thrown it on seconds earlier. His hair has been just as hastily tied back again, and he's not wearing any boots. He looks rather peeved, one hand on the door and the other on the doorframe. Just beyond him, there's the slightest glimpse of a blonde woman, arms folded, watching them with a miffed expression.
"Friends I have never met," Ezio says, a bit guarded. Desmond freezes up a touch, face-to-face with a face remarkably like his own, but Ezio doesn't seem to notice yet. His eyes are on Lucy. "How important is this?"
"We're Assassins. We just want to talk."
Ezio scrutinizes them a bit closer, drifting from Lucy, to Shaun, to Rebecca, and finally to Desmond. His eyes settle on Desmond, and a frown appears on his face before he speaks Lucy.
"Assassins?" he repeats, eyes not leaving Desmond for a second. "Yes... we will need to talk. Can you wait five minutes?"
The blonde in the suite gives a sudden, pointed cough.
"Fifteen minutes," he corrects himself, stepping back into the room. "Excuse me."
Ezio closes the door.
The four stand there in silence for a moment, until Desmond abruptly opens his mouth.
"Did that really just happen?"
-x-
By time Ezio opens the door, they've all settled into a weird, excited tension. Desmond is leaning against the wall, arms folded, Shaun and Rebecca are seated across from him, quietly bickering over something or other, and only Lucy is still standing completely upright by the door, waiting. She has to step back when Ezio lets the woman out -- a woman who looks considerably happier than before, but probably still irked about the abrupt end to their otherwise peaceful afternoon. Ezio himself is fully dressed, not in Assassin robes but in a well-tailored doublet.
"Salve," he says, a bit more relaxed. "I meant to come back to you sooner, but that was another important conversation."
"About what?" Shaun replies, incredulously, climbing to his feet. He offers Rebecca a hand and continues: "Not that I'm not flattered to meet you in person, but I can already tell that you're going to be frustrating to work with."
"He wasn't frustrating before?" Rebecca says, wryly.
"That was history," Shaun counters. "This is now."
"I think we can let this one go, Shaun. The guy doesn't know us and he might have no idea where we're from, and you're talking to him like he's supposed to know."
"Shaun, Rebecca," Lucy says, a bit sharply. "Could we not?"
"At least we know he gets his work done when it's important," Desmond adds. "But this is just... wow. It hasn't even sunk in yet. Ezio Auditore..."
Ezio looks to Desmond, eyes lingering again.
"I especially want to talk to you," Ezio says, and then glances around the others. He pauses, and then admits, "The rest of you, I have no idea what you're talking about."